On 11-12 March 2024, the EU-funded BOMCA 10 programme organised a workshop in Turkmenabad on gender-sensitive communication for government officials and representatives of public organizations in Turkmenistan. It is worth noting that this programme activity was a collaborative effort between the Delegation of the European Union to Turkmenistan, BOMCA 10, and the Office of the Ombudsman of Turkmenistan.

The event brought together representatives of the Prosecutor's Office, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Customs Service, the Mayor’s Office, the local government bodies of Lebap Velayat province, as well as representatives of the "Yenme" and "Taze Zaman" public organizations. 

The main purpose of the two-day workshop with training elements was to familiarise participants with the concepts of gender-sensitive communication and share practical skills applicable to their communication with local communities.

The seminar covered such topics as: “basics of efficient communication”, “features and characteristics of working with the target audience”, “emotional intelligence”, “understanding gender and communication”, and “practical strategies for gender-sensitive communication”.

In her opening speech, Ms. Beata Peksa, the Ambassador of the European Union to Turkmenistan, emphasised the following:

“Language serves as a powerful tool in shaping our understanding and interpretation of the world around us. By using gender sensitive language in all our communication work we contribute to challenging gender stereotypes, instead of enhancing them. This is especially important for employees who work directly with the public.”